Pressure Makes Diamonds
by SophieSaulie
Summary: A tag to Oia'i'o. Danny and Chin mobilize to find a way to clear Steve and Kono.
1. Chapter 1

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 1**

**A tag for ****Oia'i'o**

Danny had watched Steve get arrested by Chin and had reacted emotionally instead of thinking first. He had yelled at Chin, accused him of betraying 5-0, Steve, and him in that rant and no sooner had the patrol car driven away, he had regretted it. He had internally berated himself and momentarily wondered if Steve had become a bad influence on him. After cooling off for a few minutes, he had called Chin and had asked him to join him at the very same bar where they had pledged to support one another as they both ventured into the unknown as team members of the, at the time, newly formed Five-0 task force. With Five-0 dismantled, at least for now, Danny knew the first thing he had to do was mend the fissures that had been created so that he could move forward to save Five-0, the team, Kono, and Steve.

Danny had gotten there early to get a start on trying to make sense of everything that had happened with a couple of beers. He had called Rachel, but it had gone straight to voicemail. He looked at his watch and realized that she was still on the flight back to Newark, a flight he should have caught with her, but in the confusion and chaos, he had forgotten about it. He had left a message, using the best pleading voice he could muster, explaining about what had happened and that he hadn't changed his mind…at least not about her, Grace and the baby. Relocating, that was another thing entirely. He didn't know if he could do that, not right away anyway and not without making things right first. He had to hope that Rachel would listen to the message, hear the tone in his voice and understand. He could never live in Jersey knowing he had left Five-0 in ruins and his friends in prison. The idea that she might deny him visitation of Grace and their new baby because he hadn't left with them or because she had thought, like she had in the past, that work came first, would always come first, was unthinkable for him. To have come so far to reconnect with her and Grace only to have it crumble back to the animosity and threats of before, he couldn't let that happen again. He had to admit that beginning the affair with her had felt selfishly right, but a part of him felt that he was also not doing right by her marriage to Stan. Rachel had met Stan after they had divorced. They had never cheated on each other, just had lost their way to each other. He had been raised to respect marriage and no matter how he had felt about Stan, he understood that if the shoe had been on the other foot, he'd have been devastated, but after everything that had happened with Steve and Kono, his renewed relationship with Rachel and the happiness it had brought him seemed insignificant in comparison.

For now, he had to work on getting Steve and Kono out of jail while continuing to plead with Rachel not to judge and punish him for not going with her and Grace. Multi-tasking had taken on a whole new meaning at that moment. What he did know was that he couldn't just leave his friends behind to face whatever was ahead alone and without support. That was not the kind of cop, the kind of friend he was. Rachel had wondered if he could leave the life that he had forged there and though he had scoffed at the notion that he had built any life there, that they were his life, he had to grudgingly admit that he **had** created a life in Five-0 that he had been proud to be a part of and would find difficult to leave behind maybe even more so now because all the good they had done was in jeopardy of being negated. He may argue with Steve about his methods, but he couldn't argue the results they had achieved and it was because of Steve that they had been brought together. He had to get Steve and Kono exonerated.

Chin had joined him at the bar, sat next to him, a beer bottle already waiting for him, ordered by Danny in advance.

"Thanks," Chin said as he took a swallow.

"I'm sorry," Danny said. "What I said was completely out of line."

"Given what you were seeing, it was justified. I didn't have a chance to explain, it all happened so fast, but I want you to know that I haven't given up on Five-0. I meant it when I said that I couldn't just stand around and do nothing. Well, this was it. I had turned down the promotion when they had first offered it to me, but when Steve was getting framed for Laura's murder I thought that the best thing I could do was work the inside. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Danny listened and felt better knowing that he had Chin on his side.

"We're good and you're right. I'm gonna need your help. As far as evidence goes, Wo Fat did a pretty solid job of making it look like Steve killed Laura and the Governor. Believe me, Super SEAL didn't help himself, but what else is new? Impulsive, thy name is McGarrett. At this point, I have no idea what our first move is gonna be."

"What I can do is find out what kind of evidence is in the Governor's office. Hopefully I'll find something that will show that Wo Fat slipped up somehow. I'll get Max to help us. I've learned that he might be an eccentric, but if anyone can find the smallest inconsistencies, he will. He's got integrity."

"Good to know," Danny said as he took another swig of his beer. "Chin, you need to know that I'm going to be crossing some lines here to get information anywhere I can to clear both Steve and Kono. I think I've been around him too long."

Chin could only smile. "Haven't we all?"

"I want you to know that I will not drag you down if things go south for me –"

"Danny –"

"I mean it, Chin. You're a good man and a good cop. Never doubted that for a second. Do NOT do for me what you did for your Uncle. You hear me? Do NOT ruin this second chance you have to do good in the department. It needs someone like you there. Do everything you can to help Steve, by the book, and I'll do what I can to do the same, BUT, we both know that if Wo Fat had the Governor in his pocket, he's probably got a lot of other powerful players working for him as well. We don't know who they are, but the more we shake loose, the more they're going to try to keep us from finding out the truth. There could be more dirty cops. I've come to terms with what I have to do and what I'll be risking. With Five-0 disbanded and its reputation down the dumper, I know I'll be about as welcome as the plague around HPD. The ranks are closing tight already. All I need from you is that promise."

Chin looked into Danny's determined face and his respect for him only grew. Chin knew that Danny was the most upstanding, by the book cop he had ever met and he had met his share, including Steve's father. For him to even think about breaking the law, could only come from a deeply seeded loyalty to his friends and for him to make Chin promise not to sacrifice his own law enforcement integrity and life for him was noble.

"Can't do that, brah. Ohana. Family. It means more than just blood. I will honor the law just like you do, but I won't turn away from injustice if I see it, just to save my career, not anymore than you would. Five-0 is where I belong, where we all belong. "

Danny took in a breath and understood. He wanted all the cards out on the table and though he meant what he had said, hearing Chin say that he would stand by him had been reassuring. Ohana. It was nice to belong to something that important, with people who thought the way you did.

"Okay, long as we know where we stand."

Chin nodded and smiled, then they clinked their bottles together just as they had months ago.

Next stop for Danny, seeing Steve.

**TBC. This story is slowly forming in my head. Thanks for your patience and hope you'll enjoy the read.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 2**

As Danny waited for Steve to be escorted into the visiting room, a sense of déjà vu hit him. The last time he had been here was to visit Sang Min to clear his partner, Meka's name and there he was again trying to clear another partner's name. This was getting to be WAY too routine for him.

He heard the door open and watched Steve walk in. He could see that Steve had gotten no sleep and it scared him to see his partner looking as if he was resigned to his fate. Steve was a fighter, had always taken impossible odds and turned them to his favor so to see the resignation on his face worried Danny. They both unhooked the phones on either side of the plexi-glass that separated them.

"You look like Hell," Danny teased, hoping to get a rise out of his partner.

Steve only looked at Danny despair in his eyes.

"I didn't kill her, Danny."

"I know you didn't," Danny said, realizing that making jokes wasn't going to fly at that moment. His voice was soft, but filled with conviction.

"I was stun gunned by Wo Fat. He set me up."

"Listen to me, I'm going to get you out of here," Danny assured.

Steve looked away, clenching his eyes closed for a second as if to stave off tears then looked back.

"Well, as you'd like to say, the evidence is stacked pretty high against me. I walked right into the trap."

"Yeh, well, what can I say? I thrive on challenge," Danny joked again. "Chin and I are going to find something. Wo Fat made a mistake. I know it. We're going to nail him to the wall, okay?"

Steve offered a small smile, but it was fleeting.

"Kono? I saw her at booking."

Danny paused for a second to think of the right words to say. He didn't need Steve piling on more guilt upon himself.

"Yeh, IA is investigating her for the forfeiture burglary. A witness showed up."

Steve crinkled with confusion. "A witness?"

"Yeh, I need to talk to her to get the details."

Steve took in a deep breath. Danny had too much to bear and Steve felt guilty. He had dragged Danny into Five-0 and though he had no regrets because working with him had taught him so much about integrity, he couldn't find it in him to make Danny fight for him, a fight that if there was any chance of winning, he would take on, but with him behind bars, he'd be leaving Danny out there alone to become another target for Wo Fat. He had already lost his parents. He couldn't lose his friend, his partner too.

"Listen, Danny, you've got to steer clear of me. Wo Fat is going to go after you and I won't have anyone else get killed because of me. Five-0 is history. Walk away. Get that life with Rachel and Grace back in Jersey. This is your chance. Take it."

Danny understood what Steve was doing and no one was as shocked as he was to be so uncertain and yet never being so sure of a decision in his life.

"You let me worry about Wo Fat –"

"No! Danny, I mean it. Too many people have died because of me. I can't…I WON'T let you be next. You have a daughter who loves you. I can't let her lose her father. I know what that's like and I know what a good father you are."

"While I appreciate that, Steven, you seem to forget that I'm a cop. Every cop has an expiration date on them, I'm no different. Do I worry about leaving Grace? You know I do, every day, but if I let that control me, I couldn't be a cop any more. Then and ONLY then would I walk away and never look back. I'll tell you right now that if you think I could walk away and just live in Jersey knowing that you're locked up and that Kono got her badge pulled, you're sadly mistaken. So help me do my job."

Steve listened in awe of his partner. After everything he had put him through, asked him to do against his principles, Danny was standing firm beside him without a hint of hesitation. Steve had been ready to resign himself to his fate, but suddenly, he realized that it wasn't just him facing an uncertain future. It was Danny, Chin and Kono too and Danny was willing to fight to reclaim that future.

"Okay," Steve said, his voice stronger, the resignation gone from it, a renewed energy replacing it.

Danny nodded.

"Good. Now tell me everything you remember. No detail left out. I need to know everything."

Steve nodded back and for the first time, the smile on his face was genuine and remained there. Hope may turn out to be a heartless mistress, but he would do everything he could to hold on to her.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 3**

Danny had left Steve hopeful. That was a good start, but he knew he was far from solving everything. He had to help Kono now. Internal Affairs had brought her in for questioning and he had advised her to not say anything until he got back to her. Steve had gotten arrested at the same time so he hadn't had a chance to touch base with her. He had called her and had found out that she had gone back to Five-0 so he headed back there. 

Danny looked around at the shambles that was once their offices and couldn't help, but feel a weight both of responsibility and loss. They had torn the place apart to find evidence against both Steve and Kono. From what he had been told by Jenna, whom he had entrusted to keep an eye on things, they hadn't found anything substantial. That was a good thing, but he knew it was only a temporary reprieve and more sadly, it still meant that Five-0 was no longer in business. He would need to talk to her as well. Chin was working inside of HPD, but he knew that he would need to have help working things from the outside as well. He would ask Jenna for her help and would only take it with her full knowledge of the consequences for helping him. Despite her enthusiasm for the insane things they had done in the name of justice, he wouldn't accept her help unless she understood fully what she could be getting herself into.

As he walked towards Kono's office, he heard sobbing. His heart lurched into his throat at the sound and kept walking towards it. In a strange way, having a daughter and having had to comfort her through her own tears, Danny felt oddly attuned to that sound of distress. Kono was skilled, her roundhouse kick was to be admired and appropriately feared, but despite all of her physical abilities and training, she was still a young woman, tough yet still vulnerable and very inexperienced about all of the darker spectrums of law enforcement. He envied that she wasn't jaded yet, but knew that it would only be a matter of time. Experience would not only give her the skills needed to season her, but it would also damage and distort her rose-colored perspective of law enforcement. Her zeal to help her cousin from dying at the hands of a gun running maniac was understandable, but Danny knew that despite the emotional resolve that had gotten her through helping Steve with the forfeiture burglary, her ability to see past the consequences had been shrouded in the protection of being in Five-0, of having Steve and Danny as well as Chin watching her back. One third of that protection was in jail and her cousin was ostensibly a mole in the very police department she had vowed to be a part of. Danny was all that was left between her and being discharged from the work that he knew had fulfilled her. She had only just started her career and now was suddenly facing yet another career ending event. To Danny, it wasn't fair and he felt just as strongly to do everything he could to save her career.

He lightly knocked on her doorjamb. She looked up and didn't even bother to wipe away her tears.

"Hey," Danny gently uttered.

"Hey," Kono said, her voice hiccupping from her tears.

Danny pulled out a pocket pack of Kleenex and handed it to her. She smiled and took it from him, pulling a couple out to wipe her eyes and blow her nose.

"Guess I don't have to ask how you're doing," Danny said as he said in a chair opposite her.

She just shook her head.

"You up to telling me what happened?"

"Yeh, yeh, they put me in a line up for the witness they had and she identified me," Kono said. "I know who the witness is." 

"You do? Well, that's good, right?"

"Maybe, she's a sweet, if a little nosy woman, who asked me what I was doing around the sewer where Steve was getting into the locker from below."

"That all they have?"

"Far as I know. I just told her that we were doing some water work. I don't know how they found her or how they're connecting me to the stolen money, but…"

"Maybe they're not. All they have is some old lady saying that you were at a sewer hole."

"Danny, I'm a cop or was…how am I going to explain what I was doing there?" Kono said, her crying resuming.

"Hey, hey, let's not jump the gun here. And by the way, you're still a cop," Danny said as he stood up to go around the desk to where Kono was sitting and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"They took my badge and gun."

"They don't make you a cop, Kono. You're more than those things."

Kono took in a breath. "Chin said something similar on the day of my graduation."

"Well, he should know, right? Look, from the sound of it, they have a weak case. All we'll need to do is find an explanation for why you were there. I'll think of something."

Kono looked up with a shaky smile.

"You? Lying? Now look who's been around McGarrett too long."

Danny walked back to his chair.

"If you're going to be insulting, I'm leaving," Danny teased.

Kono laughed and it had felt wonderful, like a HUGE weight had been lifted. She knew that she was far from out of the woods. She could still lose her badge and a part of her felt guilty that Danny could lose his by lying for her, but she knew that just like he had placed himself in the Governor's anteroom with her, Steve and Chin to take whatever punishment the team would be given, even though he hadn't participated in one thing other than stay by Chin's side throughout, he would face whatever consequences for her. Danny was a constant comfort in times of crisis.

"How's Steve holding up?"

"As well as can be expected, but I have to figure out how to get him out of there. Given the charges against him, he is not going to get bail, but I know that we have to keep him from Hesse and protect him from Wo Fat. He's a sitting duck in there. With the Governor dead, we've got nothing to use to shield him," Danny recounted then his expression changed.

Kono noticed. "What? What is it?"

"Sang Min. We have him in protective custody. I need to talk to him before he loses that."

"And gets killed by Wo Fat."

Danny pulled out his phone and tapped the screen to dial the number he wanted.

"Chin, we need to get to Sang Min."

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 4**

Danny told Chin that he would meet him at the safe house they had put Sang Min. He had one stop to make first. He had told Kono to go home for now and hang tight until he could get her situation figured out. Though she had resisted the idea of sitting on the sidelines while everyone else worked to help clear Steve, Danny argued calmly that the most important thing for her was to stay clean, that getting involved in helping him would only strengthen the case against her, that if anything went wrong, she'd be dragged down with him and he didn't want to do that to her, despite her protests that she didn't care about that. He told that he did and that moved her. Danny told her to trust him and she had told him that she always had then reluctantly agreed that she would wait it out until she heard from him.

Danny then drove to Steve's house. After his conversation with him in jail, Danny had learned that Steve had recorded the Governor's confession about Laura's murder.

_Flashback _

_"Danny, I got the Governor to confess that she had Laura killed."_

_"What? Wait a minute, how'd you do that?"_

_"I had her confess on my phone."_

_Danny's excitement cooled._

_"They found your phone. The recording was deleted, probably by Wo Fat."_

_"I figured on that -"_

_"Of course you did," Danny said not surprised._

_"I really wasn't recording on my phone, but to a voicemail box on an encrypted phone I have hidden at my house. You just have to get that and it'll prove she killed Laura."_

_"All right, I'll go over there after I leave here. I'll find a way to use it to get you out of here or at least into protective custody."_

_"Is Sang Min still at the safe house?"_

_"Yeh, but I think Wo Fat will be ramping up cleaning house which includes getting rid of Sang Min."_

_"And probably me too," Steve said. "Danny, be careful. Wo Fat, he's dangerous."_

_"Really? I had no idea. Can you say understatement of the century? This advice coming from a man who doesn't know the meaning of the word," Danny teased. "You just watch your back in there until I can get you out. I'll be fine."_

_"Danny, thanks."_

_Steve looked worried, but sincerely grateful. Danny didn't need to hear the gratitude. He was doing it out of friendship. _

_"Okay, now how much of __**your **__soul did you just lose, huh?" Danny continued to tease. "Don't thank me yet."_

After Danny got the phone from where Steve had hidden it, he headed over to Jenna Kaye's apartment after calling her. She let him in and he was taken aback by all of the Wo Fat intel she had gathered.

"If I didn't owe you my life, I'd be a little scared right now," Danny teased.

Jenna laughed. "Too much time in the CIA, I guess."

"Yeh, don't get me started on the CIA. Long as you don't start using terms like 'the Company', we'll be good," Danny said. "Listen, I have a favor to ask -"

"Name it. I want to help," Jenna jumped in.

"Whoa, before you commit to anything, you have to know that what I'm asking you to do could get you into more than just a little trouble. It could get you killed. I'm not working as just a cop anymore. Steve and Kono, they're innocent and they're my friends. I'm gonna clear them and though I **do** need your help, I need **you **to be clear on the risks of helping me. I also want you to know that I'll do everything I can to protect you."

Jenna saw the genuine concern on Danny's face and understood why the team had fought so hard to save him. He was more to them than just another team member, he was a friend and someone with principle because even though she was new, he was including her in his circle of protection and it made her feel safe.

"I get that and thanks, but I've been after Wo Fat for a while now. I think I'm already in pretty deep. I know the risks and how dangerous Wo Fat is. I'm doing this as much for my fiancé as I am for you and your team. So, just tell me what you need."

Danny saw a glimmer in her eyes that told him she was still mourning the loss of someone she had loved. Someone who had been taken from her by Wo Fat. There was more than just Steve's investment in taking him down at stake.

"I'm sorry," Danny said with empathy in his voice.

Jenna appreciated Danny's sympathy towards her loss. It was heartfelt and that meant a lot. She just nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Okay then, I need you to take off the voicemail message on here and safeguard it on your computer. It's the Governor's confession. I need to make sure it's safe. I'm turning in the phone to the DA, but I can't be sure he's not on Wo Fat's payroll. Laura was helping Steve and it got her killed."

"Why risk telling anyone you have it?"

"To draw out Wo Fat. If the DA is dirty, the word will get back to him."

"But you'll be making yourself a target."

"With any luck," Danny said, the tone in his voice revealing that he wasn't relishing the idea of putting a bulls eye on his back, but understanding that it had to be done.

"That's crazy," Jenna said, the concern for the risk that Danny was undertaking evident in her voice.

"Yeh, well, like I said, welcome to my world."

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 5**

Danny left Jenna to work her technical magic to get the voicemail message off of Steve's phone. She told him that she would call him when she was done with it. Danny had been appreciative of Jenna's real concern for what he was planning to do, but he saw it as worth the risk. He did wonder for a brief moment if maybe he had lost whatever rational mentality he had possessed by working with Steve for the past several months. It had passed quickly though as he felt that it wasn't enough just to clear Steve's name. As long as Wo Fat was out there, he would be a constant threat for both Steve and for the team. When Sang Min had declared that after Wo Fat had killed him, Steve would be next, it wasn't lost on Danny that it was more than that, that they had all been put into the crosshairs. Wo Fat needed to be put down permanently and the only way would be through hard evidence. That or death.

Danny arrived at the safe house. He knocked on the door and applied the security protocols they had all agreed upon. It felt silly and a little too James Bondish for Danny, but heknew it was necessary. Two plain clothed detectives allowed Danny entry and Chin was sitting with Sang Min. Danny didn't like Sang Min and all that he had represented, but he had helped him clear his partner, Meka's, name by revealing Kuleo as the traitor in HPD. In turn, Danny had kept his word and had allowed Sang Min to see his family. Danny didn't know if it was just keeping his promise or if he had been empathetic towards Sang Min's genuine caring for his family, but he hadn't regretted doing it. He had to hope that Sang Min would see that gesture as honorable as well and help them again in exchange for the protection.

"So? How's McGarrett?" Sang Min asked, worry more than concern in his voice. "How does he like being on the other side?"

"Pretty fed up with how he's been played. I am too for that matter," Danny said.

"Wo Fat doesn't play games, Detective Williams. He will get to McGarrett, to me too," Sang Min said sounding less than confident about his safety.

"Now, how's that defeatist attitude going to make me feel after all the accommodations we've made here for you, huh? I seem to remember that you're the one who walked into Five-0 of your own volition asking for our help. If you think you can do better on your own, go ahead and walk out of here, babe."

"That was BEFORE McGarrett got framed for murdering the Governor. He's as much a target as I am now."

"Yeh, well, I'll give your boss props for carrying that off, but I promise you, we will get him."

"Forgive me if I just wait and see if I make it through this alive first before I place all my bets on you."

"Your show of confidence is overwhelming. You think you could shed some light on what Wo Fat is doing?"

"All I know is that he's tying up loose ends so that nothing gets traced back to him. That means me and McGarrett first then he'll pick off each one of your team."

"What about Hesse?"

"Hesse is as good as dead too. He let a personal issue get in the way of Wo Fat's bottom line."

"His brother," Chin interjected.

Sang Min nodded.

"You telling me he's got someone on the inside of the prison?" Danny asked.

"Wo Fat's got eyes everywhere."

"If that were true, you'd both already be dead."

"Maybe. All I know is, it's just a matter of time."

Danny felt his concern for Steve's safety rise.

"Chin, call the warden, get Steve isolated."

"On it," Chin said as he got out his cell phone.

"Look, you kept your word when I helped you. In my world, that stands for something. I haven't forgotten that so I know you're an honorable man, but the fact is, Wo Fat's reach is deep. I don't know how many people he's got in his pocket, but sooner or later, he either buys or threatens loyalty and gets what he wants. He'll get to McGarrett eventually. I guarantee he's just enjoying making us sweat out when he's gonna strike. He's a sadistic SOB."

Danny could only nod. Chin hung up his phone, his face drawn and drained of color.

"What? What happened?" Danny asked, the panic rising in his voice.

"Hesse is dead. They found him in his cell, his throat slashed."

"What? How…" Danny started, but already knew the answer to his question. "Get Steve out of there! Tell them he's sick and needs to be hospitalized, I don't care, just get him out of there!"

Danny's phone began to ring and he saw that it was Jenna.

"Hey, you ready for me to get that phone?"

"I found something that could get Steve cleared," she said.

"What? What did you find?"

"Wo Fat killing the Governor."

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 6**

Danny heard Jenna's words and for a moment had a problem processing it. It wasn't that he didn't understand what she was telling him. He might be slow about some things like CIA-speak, but he considered himself savvy with simple phrases like _"I found something that could get Steve cleared." _Maybe he was afraid to hope, afraid that it couldn't be that easy. Maybe he **had** been around Steve McGarrett too long and had learned to question the obvious too much. Still, he drove back to Jenna's to get the details, allowing himself to hope, first telling Chin to get Steve out of jail. Just in case false hope was once again in play.

"So, tell me what you got?"

"The Governor's confession is there all right and she does attempt to delete the recording, not realizing that the voicemail was still being captured. There's the sound of what I think is a taser and a body dropping to the floor."

"Steve was tased? That would explain why he got caught. No way does anyone get the drop on Super SEAL without taking him out some how," Danny analyzed aloud.

"The recording continues after that."

Jenna then clicked onto a "play" button on her computer.

"_What are we gonna do? We have to get rid of him."_

"_I have everything under control."_

Then two gunshots were heard.

"I did a voice analysis and comparison. It's Wo Fat's voice."

"Well, it's not literally a smoking gun, but it does implicate the Governor in Laura's murder at least. We just have to find a way to get Steve under protective custody somehow until we can definitively tie Wo Fat to the Governor's murder. Hesse was murdered in his cell so Wo Fat is already starting his clean up," Danny said as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Jenna smiled, gratified that she had helped. Danny noticed and offered a small smile back.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Steve might owe you a hug this time," Danny said teasing her about how all she had asked for after saving his life was a hug.

Jenna blushed a bit.

"How are you going to get Steve out of prison?"

"Going to get some medical advice on that one."

She just gave him a confused look.

**50505050**

Max Bergman found himself in the prison infirmary, a syringe hidden in his hand. Chin had arranged to have him get into the prison, using the excuse that Max needed to extract some evidence from Steve's neck. Danny had told Chin that Steve had been tased and they both knew that tasing sometimes leaves a burn. Max would be there to take pictures of the wound. While there, he would also inject Steve with something that would give Steve stomach spasms requiring hospitalization.

Max entered the room where Steve was laying down.

"Commander, I'll need to take pictures of the burn on your neck for evidence," Max said with a stilted and nervous tone in his voice.

"Sure, doc," Steve said, playing along.

As soon as Steve saw Max, he got that his presence was more than just procedural. Max then flashed the syringe and Steve nodded his understanding. He hoped that Max wouldn't be too obvious. As it was he was a bit eccentric, Steve didn't think acting was one of his strengths either. After taking a few pictures, Max quickly stabbed Steve with the needle. Steve grimaced, realizing that Max wasn't used to dealing with the living. The fluid was injected then the syringe removed and pocketed.

"Thank you, Commander. That's all I'll need."

"Glad I could help," Steve said, a part of him relieved that the visit was over.

Max left the room and Steve was escorted back to his cell. It didn't take long for whatever Max had injected into him to work. The spasms were excruciating and doubled him over. As he struggled to get up to call over a guard, he entertained a somewhat gallows humor thought that he had hoped Max hadn't given him something that would kill him so he'd end up in the morgue.

"Guard!" Steve tried to rasp through the pain, his hands white-knuckling the bars. "Guard!"

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 7**

Danny had expected to be in the hospital. That had been part of the plan. Get Steve out of prison and protect him. Simple, easy, right? He should've known better that nothing is ever simple when it came to Steve McGarrett. All he had asked Max Bergman to do was to give Steve something that would convince the prison infirmary that Steve needed to be sent to a hospital for further tests. What happened instead? Max had given him something all right. He gave him BOTULISM! One of the more deadly toxins on the planet!

_Flashback_

"_What did you give him?" Danny asked, frustration and anxiety rising in his voice as he talked with Max over the phone._

"_I gave him __C. botulinum," Max said matter of factly._

"_Translation, please, for those of us without a medical degree," Danny said._

"_Botulism."_

"_You gave him WHAT?" Danny asked, his anger rising._

"_Botulism. There's no need for concern. I gave Detective Kelly the antidote. Once administered, Commander McGarrett will fully recover and be unharmed."_

"_Unharmed? He was in excruciating pain!"_

"_Well, you said it needed to be convincing. Perhaps you should have been clearer on the criterion of how convincing you wanted it to be. I thought it quite convincing."_

_Danny then hung up, exasperated._

Fortunately, when they had wheeled Steve into the hospital, Max **had** already given Chin the "antidote" for the particular strain that he had given Steve and he was recovering, in the meantime, though, both Steve and Danny were wondering if he was going to escape prison in a body bag.

Danny walked over to Steve's room and was dismayed to see him shackled to the bed with two guards outside his door. The guards were good to have around, but Danny hated that they were really there to keep Steve from escaping rather to protect him from someone who might kill him, but he'd take whatever he could get. He flashed his ID and confirmed with the guards that he was one of the few allowed to see Steve from a very short list.

"Hey," Danny said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got injected with botulism," Steve teased.

"Yeh, well, guess I'll have to be more specific with Max."

"I always figured you were planning on payback for getting you shot," Steve joked.

"Very funny," Danny smiled.

"So, catch me up."

"Got your phone and gave it to Jenna. Turns out your plan worked –"

"Imagine that," Steve interjected smugly.

"Can I talk, please?"

"By all means," Steve said, enjoying the banter. He had missed it with all of the chaos that had happened.

"Thank you. So not only did the voicemail record the Governor's confession that she killed Laura, but it also caught what sounds like you getting tased and Wo Fat's voice telling her that he had everything under control just before two gunshots which we assume is him killing her. Jenna did a voice analysis and it is a match to Wo Fat. It's not hard evidence, but it's something."

Steve took in a deep breath. He wasn't in the clear, but somehow just knowing that there was something concrete to prove that he was being set up made him relax for the first time since everything went sour for him. Also, knowing that Chin and Danny were working together to get him cleared was reassuring. He felt terrible about Kono. None of what was happening to her was her fault, like everyone else on the team she had helped him and by doing so, had placed herself and her career in jeopardy. He had to hope that he'd be able to help her somehow once he was out.

"Hesse is dead. Likely someone working for Wo Fat got to him so we've gotta find a way to keep you out of prison."

"I can't say I'm not glad that Hesse is dead, but I can't avoid going back for long."

"Well, turns out Max did find taser burns on your neck so I'm going to have Chin argue protective custody. I know it's a long shot, but between that and the recording, we've got to give it a shot. Bottom line here, we have to get to Wo Fat, draw him out."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"Jenna's got a copy of the recording so I'm going to bring the phone to the DA's office, play up the recording and other evidence we have. If he's not in Wo Fat's pocket, I'll argue protective custody. If he is, he'll get word to Wo Fat that there's evidence that could tie him to the Governor's death."

Steve realized what Danny was planning to do and his reaction was complete rejection.

"No, Danny, that would put you right in Wo Fat's line of fire. I can't let you –"

"You're in no position right now to tell me to do anything, Steven."

"Danny, I mean it, we'll find another way besides, there's no guarantee that Wo Fat will come after you himself. He'll probably just send someone else like he did Hesse."

"Oh, I think he'll take a personal interest. The claymore used in Laura's death, his signature and he pulled the trigger on the Governor. I think he's just arrogant enough to do the dirty work himself. Look, there is no other way and you know it. Long as Wo Fat is out there, he'll be this threat and let me remind you, it's not just about you. Sang Min so much as confirmed to me that we're all in Wo Fat's sights and he's not going to stop until we're all dead. He doesn't leave witnesses behind remember? I can take care of myself."

"Danny -"

"End of discussion. Decision's been made."

Danny started walking out of the room, Steve struggling against his restraints, his concern and frustration elevating with every step Danny took, but no matter how many times he called out to him, Danny wouldn't turn back.

Danny's expression was calm and definitive. He wasn't being suicidal, he had Grace to think about, and he knew that she, along with Rachel and their unborn child, wouldn't be safe no matter where they went as long as Wo Fat was alive and that he couldn't live with it. He needed to give his family a life of safety. That's what fathers are supposed to do, that's what cops are supposed to do. Steve may take on the blame because he thinks he brought Wo Fat into their world, but Danny knew that a cop's life was always full of risks and sometimes it meant going against being by the book to bring down someone like Wo Fat. Maybe he **had** been around Steve too long.

Steve laid back on his bed, hating that he was helpless, hating that he had put everyone in danger. Danny was right, but the idea that he would go it alone against Wo Fat without any back up frustrated him most of all.

"Damn it, Danny."

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 8**

Chin examined the Governor's office. Having taken the promotion, he was afforded access and options to the crime scene that he never would have had as a member of Five-0 because of Steve being the prime suspect and Five-0 being under a cloud of suspicion as well as disbanded. It should have made him happy, but of all the emotions he was feeling at that moment, happy wasn't one of them. He felt guilty for accepting the promotion even if it had been with good intentions. What was it they said? The road to Hell was paved with good intentions? He wondered if by making that choice it would exact a price he would have no choice but to pay? He had missed the comradeship of being a member of Five-0. He knew he could depend on Steve, Danny and Kono to have his back and though he knew that he still could on the more important levels, he was on his own now with the exception of Danny when it came to the investigation. He felt the weight of taking that promotion as he perused the Governor's office, trying to find anything that the crime scene techs might have missed.

All they had found were the obvious clues that had led straight to Steve. He had to think outside of all that evidence and had hoped that he would find something that would clear Steve or at least leave enough doubt about his guilt. He put on gloves as he scanned the room for hidden cameras or recesses that might point to a hiding place that only the Governor knew about. He had to believe that when Steve had reported to her about Hiro Noshimuri, she had suspected that they were zeroing in on her and that maybe Wo Fat might betray her. He had to hope that she had kept "insurance"somewhere.

He spotted a hole in a picture that he knew shouldn't be there. From a distance it would have gone unnoticed. He walked over closer and leaned in. There was definitely a hole. He lifted the picture off and found the recess in the wall behind it. The camera was tucked snugly within it. He pulled it out and found the play button. He pressed it and documented on it was Wo Fat shooting the Governor. Chin couldn't help but smile at his discovery. Maybe what he had done had been worth it all after all. He placed the camera on the table while he opened an evidence bag, put it into it to preserve any evidence on it then sealed it.

Buoyed by finding the camera, he continued to look around hoping to find more evidence. He opened the drawers in the desk where Steve had found the pictures of Laura Hills placing evidence for Steve to find, like on his truck. He hoped that if the Governor had hidden those pictures there, other evidence might have been kept there as well. Chin felt a twinge of loss. Steve had teased him about the fact that Laura had been flirting with him and that he had been clueless. He felt a little guilt about that as well. He had found her attractive, but ever since his break up with Malia, he hadn't thought about dating or having another relationship. Laura getting killed had hammered home how fleeting second chances could be, that life was fragile and momentary.

As Chin rummaged, he had noticed that one of the smaller drawers wouldn't open. He yanked on the drawer pull a little harder and found that it was a false front. Behind it, was what looked like a disguised panel. He pressed it and it ejected open to reveal a flash drive hidden within it. He pulled it out and also bagged it. He pulled out his phone and pressed a number.

"Danny, meet me at your place. I've found something."

**505050**

Danny met Chin at his place and Chin, laptop in hand as well as Kono with him, turned on the computer to show them both what he had found. All of them knew that they couldn't go back to Five-0. Not only were things locked down here, but anything they put on those computers would be scrutinized and confiscated as evidence against them.

"I went back to the Governor's to see if I could find anything that maybe the crime scene techs might have missed or didn't think to look for. I figured that when Steve confronted her with the intel on Hiro Noshimuri and the fact that both of you found her with him, she might have gotten worried that we were closing in on her connection to Wo Fat so she started to put things in place to make sure that she had leverage over Wo Fat."

"Good call," Danny encouraged. "It makes sense that we probably did tip her off. Gotta say though she played us pretty convincingly. I bet that she was even counting on us finding more evidence to nail Wo Fat so that we'd put him away before he got to her."

"So, what'd you find?" Kono asked anxiously.

"She was taping everything from a hidden camera. She got Wo Fat tasing Steve and killing her."

Chin played the footage.

"Whoa, now THAT'S what I call a smoking gun! This is great. We got her and Wo Fat dead to rights. It should be enough to get Steve, at least out of prison and into protective custody," Danny said his voice excited by the first break they had gotten.

"Not only that –"

"What? More? Seriously? Promotion agrees with you, babe," Danny said with a smile on his face. "What else could possibly make this moment any better?"

Chin smiled as well. It made him feel at home again in the company of his ohana, the family that had welcomed him so openly without suspicion.

"I scrounged around the desk that Steve had found the pictures of Laura, figuring that if the Governor trusted those there, there might be other things hidden there and I found a flash drive."

Chin typed onto his laptop and opened up several windows on this screen.

"These are all of the documents she kept in relation to every dealing she had with Hiro, his brother and Wo Fat. She was deep in Wo Fat's pocket. He helped her get elected using his 'influence'."

Danny perused the documents and his eyes stopped on one of them. It was communications she had with the DA.

"So, looks like the DA is involved after all. No surprise there. Immunity and means had to involve him looking away when asked," Danny said, not surprised then another look on his face revealed a mix of revelation and determination.

"How are we going to present the evidence? The DA is just going to destroy it," Kono said, dismay and frustration in her voice.

"We can use it to draw Wo Fat out in the open. Chin can make sure the chain of evidence is processed by-the-book so that no one gets their hands on it who shouldn't. I'll shake down the DA, telling him that we have all the evidence we need to clear Steve, asking him to let Steve out of prison and to put him into protective custody. No doubt, he'll go running to Wo Fat to warn him. Once he does, we'll take him out of the equation. Chin can then follow up with someone in his office we **can** trust, who's not on Wo Fat's payroll, and really get the process going to get Steve out."

Kono's expression became concerned and confused. Chin knew where Danny was going and though he didn't like the idea, he knew that it was the only way.

"I don't understand. Why not just round everyone up?"

"If we do that, without getting Wo Fat first, he'll just go underground and we'll never get him. None of this will end until we end Wo Fat. We'll always be looking over our shoulders because he won't rest until every one of us is dead," Danny said. "I also have to protect Rachel and Grace."

Kono looked at Danny, saw that he had made up his mind and wasn't going to be swayed.

"You need back up. You can't do this alone."

"I can't risk bringing you two down with me –"

"Okay, now you're really sounding like Steve. We're a team. 'We're all in this together', remember you said that to him, to all of us? Practice what you preach, brah," Kono said half joking and half seriously, her expression softening with worry. "You have to let us help you."

Danny could only laugh at having his procedures and words thrown back at him. It was nice to know that some of his wisdom was rubbing off on the rookie and that not all of Steve's act-first-ask-procedural-questions-later mantra was being absorbed.

"Thank you, by the way, for throwing my words back in my face and making me regret it right now. While I appreciate what you're saying and as much as it pains me to admit it, this time, it has to be this way," Danny teased. "If things go down badly, you and Chin have to be here to finish things."

Kono looked at Danny then to her cousin and realized that they were in agreement on the plan. Perhaps being a rookie and having the good fortune of seeing how good cops worked, she was being naïve and had hoped that in some superhero way, good would prevail over evil as simply as it did in the movies. She now realized that it took courage of conviction to make things happen. That and sacrifice. All she could do was smile and pledge her support to them with a nod of her head.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 9**

After Chin and Kono had left, Danny had been left alone with his thoughts. He had been comforted by all the support that he had received from Chin and Kono. The evidence that Chin had found was going to clear Steve. In a strange way, he had to be grateful for the Governor's quick, if understandably justified paranoid, thinking because without it, they would have nothing. Still, he knew that it wouldn't end there. Yes, it would clear Steve, but Five-0 was Governor Jameson's appointed task force, a task force likely formed by her connection to Wo Fat. Danny was a realist. Five-0 was now as tainted as she had been, all of its accomplishments would be put into question. It was highly unlikely that it would be reinstated to continue operating at all let alone the way that it had been, pushing the law to its very limits and in some cases, beyond it. Danny had been proud of what they had managed to do in the few short months they were a team, but through it all, he had known that someday they would be called to account for every arrest they had made, for the methods they had used to obtain their arrests. He had told Steve exactly that when they had been facing the consequences for the forfeiture locker robbery. Kono's career was still in danger because of it. The Governor covering it up with either her money or worse, with Wo Fat's money made their actions even more suspect. It all looked grim for them. 

Thinking about all that should have given Danny the easy choice he needed to move back to Jersey and start a new life with Rachel, Grace and the new baby. He could start all over again there. His record as a cop was pristine and his alliances with his fellow officers there still solid so regaining acceptance would be simple. Why then didn't he feel happy? He could go back to the home he had missed all these months, leave the islands that he had cursed, albeit with some humor, to Steve, Kono and Chin for those same months. As he took a beer from his fridge, opened it and swigged the cold liquid, he realized that he had developed an affection for those people and even more important to him, a loyalty to them. Deep down, he felt that no matter what happened next, he would be leaving friends who had watched his back, had accepted him despite his mainland status, had seen him through dark times when he and Rachel weren't on good terms, especially Steve. He felt that he would be abandoning them to whatever uncertain fates awaited them and in many ways they would be to lesser fates.

Chin might be able to restart his career, but Kono would have an uncertain one with the IA investigation still looming without resolution and with the new evidence, surely, the Governor's cover up of the money would only make things look worse for Kono and for Steve. Then there was Steve. Would Steve be able to survive in a system where immunity and means no longer applied? Would he feel so hampered that he would go back to the military, to the SEAL life that he had always known, but didn't completely belong to anymore? They were questions Danny had no answers for and yet he felt that he had to be there for all of them, to see them through as they had seen him through.

His partnership with Steve, though at times adversarial in a brotherly kind of way, had been forged with a kind of commitment that Danny had always appreciated if learned the hard way. Steve had given him belonging not only in his work, but also in adjusting to his then new life on the islands. He had gone to bat for him to keep Stan and Rachel from taking visitations with Grace away from him. He had lied to the FBI so that he could try to stop his brother Matt from leaving the country with a drug dealer. Danny's friendship with Steve had enforced his partnership with him and if the truth were to be told, he had enjoyed pushing the envelope with the law at times. He had to make sure that Steve would not only be cleared of the murder charges, but that he would know he wasn't abandoning him to deal with Wo Fat alone.

Danny realized that he couldn't do that to any of them and be happy in Jersey.

His thoughts were then interrupted by the sound of his ringing cell phone. He saw Rachel's face on the screen and answered it.

"Hey, baby," Danny greeted, wishing he had sounded happier.

"Danny, are you all right?" Rachel asked, worry in her voice, hearing the defeat in his. "Has something happened?"

"Yeh, yeh, Chin found evidence that will clear Steve of murder."

"That's wonderful news!" Rachel said, truly happy to hear about Danny's friends, but sensing something else there.

"Yeh, it is."

"Danny, what is it?"

"Clearing Steve of the murders won't keep him and the others safe if Wo Fat gets away…you, Grace and the baby won't be safe either. Wo Fat has to be stopped."

"Well, he will be, right? The evidence clearly leads back to him, doesn't it?"

"Yeh, but he'll find a way to escape, go underground. If he does that, we'll never get him."

Rachel heard something in Danny's voice that scared her.

"What are you saying?"

"I have to finish things here before I can go back to Jersey."

"Of course, I understand, but when you do…"

Danny took in a deep breath. What he was about to ask Rachel could ruin their reconciliation, but he knew it was the right thing to ask and he had to hope that she would understand.

"Rachel, can you do me a favor?"

"Of course, anything," Rachel said, her fear rising.

She knew her husband well and the kind of man he was. It was because of who he was that she had fallen in love with him, but it was also what had her fearing losing him every time he went to work and had made her drive him away. In some ways, she wasn't that woman anymore, seeing his work through the Five-0 team members' eyes, especially his partner's eyes, made her realize that he had people protecting him, but now, hearing his voice, knowing that once again, he was clearly on his own, understanding his fierce loyalty to those team members, she felt that fear again, but tried to temper it for his sake.

"I know you don't consider Hawaii your home and believe me, I can't believe I'm saying this myself, but would you consider coming back, living here with me?"

Danny heard Rachel pause.

"Just think about it, okay?"

"All right, I will," Rachel said, her voice sounding open and willing which made Danny relax. "Danny?"

"Yeh?"

"Promise me, you'll be careful."

"Always am. I love you. I never stopped. Tell Grace that Danno loves her."

"I will."

Danny hung up and took in a deep breath. His phone then rang again. It was Chin this time.

"Yeh, okay, good. I'll be there. Chin? Thanks."

Danny then walked out of his apartment appreciating the thought that he considered what he was going to do less about police work and more about a rescue mission. Wouldn't Steve love to rub that little concession in his face?

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 10**

Steve couldn't rest or sleep. He was cuffed to a hospital bed and Danny was off doing something that he knew Danny would have accused Steve of taking a stupid chance at doing. He paused and thought, "I'm sounding like him now". If he weren't so frustrated, he'd be laughing. He needed to do something. He needed to stop him. Helpless was something Steve didn't know how to be. The more he was cornered, the harder he pushed, the riskier the action. Since joining Five-0, he had learned a lot from his partner about tempering his fight or flight response, but he had to admit that he hadn't learned enough because it was just that instinct that had gotten him into the trouble he was in and now, his team, his partner were putting themselves at risk to bail him out. He wasn't used to that and he didn't like the feeling of being a bystander.

He was feeling better and knew that it would only be a matter of time before he'd be escorted back to prison. It made him sad to think that because of his rash decisions people could get hurt, especially Danny. For all of Danny's rants about Steve's "techniques", he knew that Danny was determined to get him cleared. He had seen what he had done for his other partner, Meka and knew what Danny was capable of accomplishing. Bullheaded in his own way, Steve knew that Danny wouldn't rest himself until he had gathered all he could to clear him. He wasn't going to wait for things to happen. That was what worried him. Despite Lono's comment, Danny was the rational one of the two of them so for him to do something irrational as Steve would do was beyond worrisome for him.

Steve had enjoyed the freedom the Governor had given him. Maybe he should have suspected something was wrong, the adage, "if it's too good to be true, it usually is" probably should have applied, but at the time that it had been offered to him, he had been seized with the single-minded mission of getting Hesse for killing his father and taking the offer meant accomplishing that goal. Perhaps Wo Fat had known that and had used the Governor to keep him in their sights, to use that anger against Steve, just like Nick had used their friendship against him. He always had considered himself closed off and suspicious due to the nature of his training, but after everything that had happened, Steve had to admit that he had been played well, his trust efficiently manipulated. Despite that though, he knew that not everything had been a farce, not everyone had an agenda to destroy him. Chin, Kono and Danny, they had been the best things that had come from Five-0, nothing could convince Steve otherwise. They had done good work, but now Five-0's reputation was connected to a corrupt Governor. Recovering from that seemed impossible.

Suddenly, he heard the door to his room open and Chin walked in. He walked over to his bedside.

"How are you feeling?" Chin asked.

"Better. I'll probably be released soon," Steve said without any hint of excitement.

"Well, how does now sound?"

Steve's expression was one of confusion then surprise when Chin produced the key to his cuffs and released him. Chin had to admit that he had enjoyed seeing the shock on Steve's face. It then wrinkled into concern.

"What's happened?"

"We found evidence that the Governor had her office rigged with a camera. She caught Wo Fat tasing you and killing her."

Steve sat amazed at the simplicity of the resolution when suddenly the alarm voice in his head said, "if it's too good to be true…"

"What about Wo Fat?"

Chin paused for a second, worried about what Steve would do once he gave him all the details. As it was, Steve's mind was already churning into overdrive with all of the possible scenarios, none of them good.

"We also found files on a flash drive that she was keeping. She was definitely on Wo Fat 's payroll. So was the DA."

"Wait a minute, if the DA was on the take, how did you get me cleared?"

"We flushed him out and found someone not working for Wo Fat to process the evidence. Technically, you're in protective custody."

"What about Wo Fat?" Steve asked again, now knowing the answer, but needing it confirmed.

"Danny is –"

"Get me out of here! NOW!" Steve yelled, realizing that time was of the essence, that Danny's life was at stake.

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 11**

Danny sat in the park, enjoying another beautiful day in Paradise, admiring the ocean from a safe distance. He missed Rachel and Grace and wished that he could share the day with them, but was glad that they were safe in Jersey. He had called in some favors and had asked a couple of his cop buddies there to watch over them until he had settled a case. They didn't question and he didn't reveal details. It was reassuring to know that he still had a brotherhood there to count on.

Not just in Jersey too.

Both Chin and Kono had insisted that they help and wouldn't leave until he had relented. They had become a great team together and he cherished their loyalty. He and Steve did have one really annoying quality in common, self-sacrificial tendencies. Danny would have insisted that Steve was downright OCD about his, but after everything that had happened and what they had gone through as a team, Danny had begun to realize that his penchant for it was becoming just as finely tuned. Danny didn't approach self-sacrifice as cavalierly as Steve did, that's where they differed. He had a family to think about and quite frankly, to live for. He was beginning to see though that Steve was slowly coming around to the fact that he, too, had people to live for, not distance himself from, people who were more than just transitory soldiers-in-arms whom he had to rescue all the time, that they were just as capable of doing the rescuing. Danny also hoped that Steve's connection to his family, Grace, in particular, would make him think twice before leaping off a tall building without checking if there was a net below him first. Grace had taken to Steve, had seen beyond his irritating qualities and had embraced the inner uncle in him. The thought of her having an uncle that would die for her as he would was comforting. Matt's betrayal still weighed heavily on him and Steve's actions to allow him to rescue Matt, despite its failure in the end, made Steve just as much, if not more so, a brother and an uncle.

So, as Danny sat, waiting for Wo Fat to arrive, he was consoled by the thought that he would entertain one act of pure irrational behavior worthy of a Super SEAL to rescue his friends, his family, his partner. It helped knowing that those very same people were also watching his back, save for Super SEAL though he could time in his head that the moment Chin revealed what he was planning, that same said Super Seal would be barreling his way there as fast as he could ignoring that he was still recovering from botulism poisoning.

Danny then spotted a limo driving up the curb. The door opened and out walked Wo Fat, confidently straightening his suit, trying to act nonplussed as he walked towards him. Danny stood up from the bench, his gun unsnapped from its holster, at the ready. He was also wired. By the book, just the way Danny liked things. Wo Fat stood opposite him, his face stone cold and expressionless.

"So good of you to come. Guess you got the DA's invite, huh? Nice weather we're having, don't you think? Just another day in Paradise, right? I'd suggest you enjoy it because it will be your last view, except from maybe a prison yard," Danny goaded.

"Very amusing, Detective, but I wouldn't count on that just yet."

"Is that a threat? Really? Really? Because I don't know if the DA spelled it out clearly enough for you, but we have you dead to rights on killing the Governor."

"You have no idea the reach I have, neither does McGarrett. How do you think your task force was formed? The Governor was just a tool, a way to get it established, legitimized. You can't tell me that you haven't enjoyed the immunity and means it provided all of you. You were able to accomplish all that because of me."

"Let's not get too full of ourselves here. We did do the work after all," Danny countered.

"You're missing the point, Detective. You did all that work with my money; every piece of equipment you used, down to the paper clips on your desk, was paid for by me. You think yourselves above the law, but all of you were on my payroll. That money the Governor used to cover up your little burglary was mine. Soon when HPD learns about just how you were subsidized, shall we call it? You'll be no better than the criminals you take pride in putting away. Your careers are over."

Danny didn't act completely surprised, he had suspected as much, but the reality was still difficult to swallow nonetheless. What was more important now was that he knew he still had a job to do and he would enjoy doing it for as long as he could before it was taken away from him.

"Yeh, well, that may be true, we'll see, but none of that changes the fact that I get to have the distinct pleasure of arresting you for the murder of Governor Jameson."

Danny then spotted Steve walking towards them, a little more tiredly than his usual gait, but with a satisfied look on his face. Danny could only roll his eyes, a touch of a smile on his own face.

"Really? You just couldn't stay away, could you?" Danny teased. "Shouldn't you be in a hospital bed?"

Steve finally caught up to them.

"What? And let you have all the fun?" Steve said as he glared at Wo Fat. "Guess this finally ends things."

"Don't count on that, Commander. This isn't over."

"Book 'em, Danno," Steve said with a grin as Danny just shook his head then he turned towards Wo Fat. "I have to admit, you really had me there, but the Governor, she, at least, will bring you down."

"Now, who's being overconfident?" Wo Fat said arrogantly.

Danny turned Wo Fat around to cuff him. He had missed the smug smile on his face. Steve caught it though and immediately knew that there was something wrong. He scanned the area and caught a glint of light.

"Danny! Get down!" Steve yelled.

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 12**

Steve knew what that glint meant. The scope of a sniper. He knew it as much as having a trained eye for spotting them, but also from being at the other end of that scope, another chapter from a past that was riddled with special skills that had saved his life and the lives of others. He deduced the direction in milliseconds and only had a fraction of that to react. The only person he cared about was Danny, he had to get him out of the line of fire as quickly as possible or at the very least deflect the shot somehow.

"Danny! Get down!" Steve yelled.

Danny heard Steve's warning then felt Wo Fat trying to jerk away from his grasp. His reflexes kicked in and he tightened his grip, trying to pull him and Wo Fat down to the ground. He saw Steve duck well. Just before he and Wo Fat fell, he heard an audible thump, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Adrenaline was surging through him and though saving Wo Fat would have been the last thing he would have wanted to do, instinct and training took him over and no matter how Wo Fat wanted to paint his participation in creating Five-0, Danny took pleasure in knowing that none of them had been tainted by that. He may want Wo Fat dead for the suffering he had caused, but in the end, he had followed the law and that was all that mattered to him.

Danny pushed Wo Fat off of him as he also watched Steve rise up, seemingly unharmed. He then realized that Wo Fat wasn't moving.

"Danny? You okay?" Steve asked.

"Yeh, I think so, but I don't think Wo Fat is," Danny said as he turned him over.

There, at his chest, was a bullet hole, blood spreading across it quickly. His face a blank stare, blood trickling from his mouth. Danny stood up next to Steve. They both looked down at Wo Fat's body as they were joined quickly by Chin and Kono. They had been monitoring from the wire Danny was wearing.

"What happened?" Kono asked.

"Looks like Wo Fat is dead," Steve said.

"Can't say that I'm sorry about that. Saved some tax payer time and money putting him through a trial," Danny said, suddenly feeling an ache in his side. He reached there and found it stinging. A soft hiss escaped his lips and went unnoticed.

Steve had a different thought.

"You have a face. What is it?" Danny said.

"This doesn't make any sense."

"What? Again with the not making sense? Last time you said that, you got locked in a bathroom on a ship by a fellow SEAL."

"I was right then, wasn't I?" Steve insisted. "Why would Wo Fat smile just before the shot?"

"He was smiling? Really? Well, I don't know, why does it matter?" Danny said as he grimaced again.

"It matters because I think he wasn't the intended target."

"Which means…" Danny said.

"It means that we were," Steve posited.

Danny then found the pain in his side getting worse. He finally looked down and saw blood there. Steve noticed and realized that Danny had been shot.

"Hey, hey, you've been hit."

"I'm okay," Danny said, but as the adrenaline left his system, the pain increased and he found himself curling into himself involuntarily, finding it hard to stay upright.

Steve and Chin supported him as he began to crumble to the ground, groaning. Kono whipped out her cell phone to call EMT. She couldn't help, but remember the last time she had watched Danny collapse to the ground and had to do the same exact thing. It brought up the same fear.

"Hold on, Danny. Help is on the way."

Danny just nodded, feeling his body quake and clench with pain, all he could do was groan. After just recovering from the Sarin, he didn't relish yet another stay in the hospital or telling both Rachel and Grace again. He hated worrying them, they had been through so much already, but as the pain worsened, he realized that once again, it was out of his control. Still, like before, he was surrounded by friends who would be there for him. They didn't need a title to be a team.

Off in the distance on the rooftop of a nearby abandoned building, Jenna Kaye was packing away a rifle.

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13

**Pressures Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 13**

Danny had been rushed into surgery. The doctors assured Steve that the wound, though serious, wasn't life threatening. A feeling of relief had swept over him and when his own adrenaline had left him, he had felt the weariness that reminded him that he wasn't 100%. Still, it was good to be free, for now. Danny had risked everything to keep his promise to him and he had almost gotten killed. Instead, Wo Fat had been killed. Steve couldn't truly enjoy the moment of being free and having Wo Fat dead knowing that it had almost cost him a partner and friend.

Chin pursued trying to piece together what had happened, who had killed Wo Fat or who was trying to kill them while Steve waited to hear about Danny. He had promised him that he wouldn't call Rachel until there was a good reason to do it. They had gone through enough already and Danny didn't want to scare them especially since they were now thousands of miles away and he didn't want them flying back unless they had to. Seeing how much pain Danny had been in, Steve had flashbacked to when Danny was gasping for breath after he had been exposed to Sarin. It seemed like he had barely recovered from that before getting wounded again by what Steve believed to be a misfired shot. He knew that professionals never missed so whoever the intended target was, it wasn't Wo Fat.

_Flashback_

_"Danny, hang on. Help is on the way," Steve said, his voice betraying his anxiety._

_Danny squirmed with the rising pain._

_"Is it just me or is anyone else getting a sense of déjà vu here?" Danny joked, trying to lighten the mood as he rode through the surges of pain._

_Danny looked at everyone's expression and realized that they __**were**__ reliving when he had been exposed to the Sarin and was afraid for him._

_"I'm okay, guys. Really."_

_No one acted convinced. Danny knew that he had to take their minds off of his situation._

_"So, you thinking sniper?"_

_"Yeh, only thing I don't know is who was the intended target. Wo Fat or us," Steve said._

_"I think the dead body speaks for itself," Danny said, clenching through his pain._

_"I don't think so. I saw Wo Fat smiling as if he knew what was coming."_

_"What? You a mind reader now?" Danny said, feeling weariness penetrate his body. "You're the...one with the face."_

"_How many times do I have to tell you that I don't have a face? Wo Fat knew about the shooter so he wasn't the target."_

"_Lucky me then. Typical. And I got caught in the crossfire," Danny teased then lost consciousness._

"_Danny? Stay with me, partner!" Steve coaxed just as EMS arrived._

The surgery had been successful and Danny was in recovery. It allowed Steve to relax a little. He then heard his cell ring.

"McGarrett."

"We found the sniper," Chin said.

"That's great news."

"Not so great, brah. He's dead."

**505050**

Steve had been told that Danny would be in recovery for several hours so he had decided to meet Chin at the Morgue to get whatever information he had on the sniper. While there, Max Bergman would brief them on cause of death.

Steve walked into the Morgue and was greeted by both Chin and Max.

"Ah, Commander, I see that you have fully recovered. I told Detective Williams that you would be fine once the antidote was administered. He seemed quite agitated."

Steve and Chin exchanged looks.

"Yeh, Max, I'm good. Thanks for helping us," Steve said, imagining that Danny would have been proud of his polite demeanor and self-control.

"No problem."

Chin then turned to show Steve the information on his smart phone. A picture of a short-cropped blonde haired man with a grim look on his face was on the screen.

"The sniper's name is Shaun Rossi. Former CIA."

"Another rogue CIA?" Steve said, concern and confusion on his face.

"Not surprisingly, there's not much on him."

"Maybe Jenna can find some information on him. What's the cause of death, Max?"

"Gunshot wound to the chest, at close range."

"That means our sniper knew his killer. No way a guy like him, with his skills and background, would let a stranger get that close to him," Steve said.

"So someone took him out to stop him from killing one of us?" Chin said puzzled.

"Maybe," Steve said.

"Then who killed Wo Fat?"

"Someone with a bigger grudge against Wo Fat."

"That could be a very long list, brah," Chin said.

"Maybe not," Steve said, realization coming to his face.

**TBC**


	14. Chapter 14

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 14**

_Sorry this chapter took so long. I was distracted and seized by other plot bunnies that had to be written. Thanks for your patience. I hope you'll enjoy it._

Jenna had arrived at the hospital to visit Danny. When she had heard that he had gotten hit, she needed to know that he was okay. Danny had trusted her to help him clear Steve and more importantly had given her support as well as an out if she had wanted. It made her understand how important he was to the Five-0 team. Danny had principles, dedication and loyalty to spare. It made what she had caused all the more unacceptable.

Danny was receiving visitors so she went to him in the hopes that she could redeem herself. She walked into his room. He looked asleep, but stirred when she entered.

"Hey," Danny said, tiredly. "Are you okay?"

Jenna, at first, looked puzzled.

"Sure, why? I'm not the one who got shot. You have to be more careful, first sarin -" she teased.

"Yeh, well, what can I say? Since becoming Steve's partner, danger seems to follow me wherever I go. I should get James Bond's paycheck," Danny joked back.

Jenna giggled. Danny possessed a rough-hewn charm and humble sense of humor that she liked.

"I just wanted to make sure that Wo Fat hadn't targeted you in the process of us meeting him."

She smiled sweetly at his protective nature.

"No, no, I'm okay. Thanks."

Danny detected something in her voice and manner that made him wonder if there was something more there.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Danny asked again.

"Yeh, it's just that hearing that Wo Fat is dead…" Jenna trailed off. "After pursuing him for so long, I'm just having a hard time processing that it's all over, that's all."

"I get that. I'm sure Steve's going to have some adjusting to do too. He's been on this vendetta for awhile himself."

"We both have you to thank for finally ending it."

"Whoa, no, all I did was go after him and his business. Besides, it was a team effort," Danny said, pointedly including Jenna. She didn't miss it and smiled. "Someone else deserves the thanks for killing him."

Jenna nodded and yet, Danny noticed again that there was something more there.

"Maybe, but I'm still grateful."

Danny nodded back.

"Listen, I gotta go, but it's good to see that you're okay," Jenna said as she fiddled with something in her hand. She then put it into his hand.

"What's this?"

"It's all the intel I have on Wo Fat. You probably got most of his operations here in the States, but he has a lot of international business that should be locked down as well."

Danny was the one now confused.

"Why are you giving this to me? Like it or not, you're one of us now," Danny teased.

Jenna gave him a small smile.

"As much as I've appreciated being a part of Five-0. With Wo Fat gone, I need some time to find out where I want belong from here. The CIA, the death of my fiancé, pursuing Wo Fat, it's taken up so much of my life. I really don't know who I am anymore. I need to find out."

Danny understood. After his divorce from Rachel, he had gone through the same self-analysis, a soul search that had led him to follow his ex-wife and daughter to a pineapple-infested island that he was just as surprised anyone to call home. He had found his "calling" in Five-0 and didn't regret the choice.

"I understand. I hope you find what you're looking for," Danny said. "And thanks for saving my life. By the way, just a hug won't cut it in my book. If you ever need anything…"

Jenna found her chest tightening at Danny's offer. His actions never ceased to amaze her and to affirm to her that if she ever did need anything, he would be there for her. She had seen that loyalty in action.

"Thanks, Danny."

She then took his hand and shook it.

"Take care of yourself."

"You too."

Danny watched her leave and the vibe he was receiving was getting louder. He looked at the USB drive. Something was wrong. He just didn't know what yet.

**TBC**


	15. Chapter 15

**Pressure Makes Diamonds**

**Chapter 15**

_Sorry this final chapter took so long. I've been besieged by other plot bunnies, but I think that now that it's about to premiere, my mojo is back on track so I hope this satisfies._

Steve came by the hospital to check on his partner. After learning about how the sniper, Shaun Rossi, a former CIA agent had been killed, he had an idea about who might have done it, but the thought didn't sit well with him. Maybe more accurately, he was torn between understanding the justice that killing Wo Fat would bring, after all, he had entertained the idea more than once himself, and the pain it would cause to bring justice to his killer.

When Steve walked in, he found Danny seemingly lost in thought, twirling what looked like a flash drive in his hand.

"Penny for your thoughts," Steve teased.

Danny looked up.

"Very funny. In this economy? And on a cop's salary? Oh, wait, I'm not a cop anymore."

Steve smiled. Even in the depths of despair, he was positive that Danny could bring him out of it with a single rant, if only to tell him to shut up.

"What's with the drive?"

"Now, **that's** a good question. Have you seen Jenna?" Danny asked.

Steve stiffened.

"No, why?"

"She left this with me, said that you might find the information on it useful to catching Wo Fat's international network."

"She was here?"

"Yeh, she was visiting and saying goodbye," Danny said, a puzzled expression on his face.

Steve straightened and anxiety filled him.

"How long ago?"

"About an hour. Why?"

"Chin got the info on our sniper. Former CIA. He was shot in the chest at close range."

"So he wasn't our shooter?"

"No, someone got to him first and –"

"Killed Wo Fat," Danny finished.

Danny looked at the flash drive. Steve noticed the pensive look that came over Danny.

"What?"

"That would explain a lot. She seemed sad, maybe a little nervous, but if she's the one who took out Wo Fat, which I have to say, I wholeheartedly thank her for, why would she waste time visiting me, leaving me this?"

Steve's expression went soft and sympathetic.

"I think she became a part of our team. Maybe, at first, it was all about hunting down Wo Fat and needing the means and resources that we could provide to help her, but when you got poisoned and helped us on that case, she probably felt like she belonged. Then when you got shot in the crossfire, I think she just needed to know that you were all right."

"Pity. I seem to have that affect on people."

Steve laughed. Danny handed the flash drive to Steve.

"You going after her?"

Steve thought for a moment.

"She's CIA. If she can corner and take out another CIA agent, not to mention kill Wo Fat with a sniper rifle, she's into the wind by now."

Danny noted Steve's reaction.

"You're going to let her go, aren't you?" Danny said, understanding in his voice.

"Yeh, I really can't blame her and maybe it's time we both set our vendettas aside. She could've just killed Wo Fat and left, but she didn't."

Steve looked over at Danny, a look of gratitude on his face.

"Thanks…for not giving up…" Steve said sincerely then put on a scolding expression. "Although I have to say that it was a really stupid thing to do, you put a gigantic target on your back."

"And that's the thanks I get, you are really an ungrateful SOB, you know that? Here I am lying in a hospital bed after getting SHOT AT, eating crappy hospital food, I just should have let you rot in jail. Next time I won't feel so charitable."

Steve just listened and inwardly, he just let himself enjoy the sound of Danny's ranting.

**FIN. Hope you enjoyed this story. Thanks for being so patient with it. It's appreciated. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and who made this story a favorite. It's all appreciated. Hoping to be newly inspired as the new season begins.**


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